My oldest son passed hunters ed this spring and deer hunting was big on his (and my) list. After shooting different rifles and comparing groups, he shot the tightest groups with a particular 308 (AR-10). The light recoil I believe was the biggest factor. A challenge would be with the weight of the rifle but I felt that could be solved with dad and a good rest.
He turned 9 late September and was chomping at the bit to go. The problem was that we knew we would have a short hunt as he had a grid kid football game to be in and we needed to leave my house by 8:45am.
Around 7:45, I spot a bachelor group of bucks, two of them legal. I have with me my brother in law and his 10 year old first time hunter with me. I range the group at 240 yards and the question is if these guys can make that shot. My son keeps telling me he can
............and after a bit I cave as there really wasn't a way to get any closer. He gets set up and we are waiting for a second buck to clear and finally I give him the green light. I wait, wait, wait and I see him reaching up with his other hand to help pull the trigger.........it's then I realzie it's still on safty.
After we get that all squared away, he touches off and WHACK!
The group of 4 run off with his buck favoring it's shoulder. At this point, he is VERY excited and I try to calm him down and explain that it isn't over until you have him in your hands. About 100 yards later, it peels off the group and heads downhill towards us. He shoots it again and it goes another 75 yards and disappears into the nasty.
We walk up to it with some hand signal directions help from my brother in law and had to shoot him one more time. But....talk about excited! With little time to spare, I go back to get the truck and bring it to a closer spot. When I get back with the pick-up, he is standing there with tears rolling down his face. I get out rather quickly and check to see that everything is ok and he says......."Daddy, I've been praying and thanking God, and.....I just have tears of Joy as I'm so happy". He sprints to me and gives me a hug for the ages....... (chokes me up to even type it)
This was the point where it really hit ME. Of REALLY what it's all about. Of the impact of a good father/son relationship is. Of how blessed I am, how fortunate I am and that little voice of encouragement telling me that at this point, I'm doing something right.
We got it field dressed, loaded and home, cleaned up (as best we could) and made it to the game 2 min early. His team won that game, the first win of the 6 they've played. His mothers boyfriend came to me later to tell me that my son told him that today was the best day of his life.....
Anyway, to have children and to be thinking for years how to plan their first hunt and how you would want it to go.....I'm indeed a blessed man.